Over the past weeks i have been lucky to have the chance to visit Jock. He is in good spirits and good health considering his ordeal. Keep up the letter writing as he is attempting to get back to as many people as he can. I have past on all the blessing, wishes, photos and letters.

In regard to the regular visits. it is imperative that you contact This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it asap when you want to visit. there is still incidents where people are not able to get there visit because others have already signed in on the day. Jock has a very good base of Bulgarian friends which visit him so i need to inform them that internationals will be coming on particular visiting days.

It also appears the visiting times have changed to the morning rather then the afternoon. This means signing in between 9-10am and visiting around 11am. For more information people contact myself

Regards,

Spencer

On 27^th December 2007 Jock saw a group of young man attack a young Roma man.  He went to his aid. The group then attacked Jock and in the subsequent melee two of the group were wounded, one fatally.

The police investigation was conducted between 27^th December 2007 and April 2008 and supervised by the prosecutor. The investigation was centred entirely on the group’s version of events. No attempt to investigate Jock’s version, where it differed, was conducted.  Key evidence that would have supported Jock’s version (witnesses, CCTV, crime scene analysis) was not collected.

The trial ran for nearly two years between the 24^th May 2008 and December 2^nd 2009. Over 24 court appearances were scheduled with most of these being aborted as key witnesses (including expert witnesses) did not appear. On other occasions a member of the judging panel did not appear. Despite this, critical evidence was collected that supported Jock’s story. The most critical of this was the evidence of two independent eye witnesses that saw the group severely beating a young man well before the wounding of two members of the group. (factual evidence which several of the group of attackers admitted to in police statements and subsequently lied about in court as they knew it damaged their case).  

During the trial many witnesses (from the group of men and police) changed their testimony from their original signed statements given to police before the trial.  The prosecutor and civil claimants (parents of the man who died and the man who was wounded) were able to prevent the court recording or examining these discrepancies.

On 2^nd December 2009 the participants gave their summaries. The essential difference between the prosecution and defence cases was the beating of the Roma boy by the group before the two men from the group were wounded. The prosecution denied this ever happened (based solely on the group’s own evidence). The defence used the evidence from independent witnesses that clearly showed a previous attack from the group. This established the motive for Jock and also the lack of truthfulness in the group’s evidence. The judge gave his verdict.  He fully supported the prosecutor’s version of events and gave Jock 20 years for “murder with hooliganism”. That is the judge found Jock had no motive other than ‘disrespect’ for the norms of Bulgarian society.

In May 2010 the judge finally handed down his written explanation of his verdict.  While acknowledging that all the oral (except Jock’s) and expert evidence was “truthful” and admissible he determined that it all supported the group’s version of what happened that night. To do this, he has completely ignored the only independent eye witnesses’ accounts of the group severely beating a young man and all the evidence that shows the gang was giving false and contradictory evidence. The verdict also clearly rejected other evidence from witnesses and professionals, direct and indirect which supports Jock’s version of events.

The file has now been forwarded to the court of appeal, however no date for the appeal has been given.

Update (29 May 2010)

After 5 months the senior judge in Jock’s case has finally handed down his reasons for the  unacceptable verdict he delivered in December of 2009. The document is in Bulgarian and is currently being translated into English. Only now can Jock’s file be sent to the appeal court and an appeal date set. We  do not have a date for the appeal as yet.

Jock’s lawyer and his friends in Australia are currently preparing the appeal. It will be very important that in this time leading up to the appeal (could be from 1 to 6 months away) that as many people around the world hear of the injustices done to Jock. To help with this, the Free Jock site will post more of the evidence and court transcripts that show so clearly that the story Jock gave the court is the truth. Please access the website on a regular basis for updated information regarding Jock’s case.

Jock is still in isolation. This means he is in a small room for 23 hours a day with one other prisoner (due to overcrowding). He is not allowed access to any of the normal activities. He can receive mail and visitors. Both of these have given Jock a great morale boost. Please encourage everyone to write. Those that would like to visit can follow the instructions on this site. Contact Spencer if you have any queries.

On 19 Feb 2010, Jock was placed in isolation indefinitely.

 Isolation means Jock is in solitary confinement, and has no contact with fellow prisoners. He also has no access to books, radio or television. He is unable to work, to study, or to attend the prison gymnasium. All his meals are eaten inside his cell. The only opportunity he has to leave his cell is for the 90 minute period each day in which he is allowed to exercise, on his own, in the prison courtyard. 

Jock’s placement in isolation is the result of a law introduced in June 2009. This law stated, in essence, that any foreign prisoner facing a possible sentence of more than 15 years had to remain in isolation until such time as they received a final verdict on their case. Thus far, Jock has been convicted by the City Court (December 2009), but his conviction is subject to appeal: first, in a case to be heard by the High Court and then, potentially, by the Supreme Court. In other words if, as expected, this process takes a further two years, Jock may be kept in isolation for the duration of the appeals process.

 It should be noted that, at the time the law was introduced until now, Jock was and is the only prisoner to be affected by the new law; further, that while Jock has previously been informed that, as a result of the new law, he would be placed in isolation, this is the first occasion upon which prison authorities have actually done so. Previous proclamations that he would be placed in isolation — of which there were several — were eventually ended when prison authorities were informed by legal advocates that such treatment was contrary to the terms and provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights.

What we can do:


1. Write to Jock

Jock Palfreeman
Sofia Central Prison
21 Gen. N. Stoletov Bul.
Sofia 1309
Bulgaria

Packages should be sent through Spencer ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or Josh ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it )


2. Write to an MP/politician

See the letter writing guide
See the list of contact addresses

Once you've written a letter, please send a copy to Spencer or I so that we can post it on freejock.net for others to see.


3. Educate yourself

On Jock's case facts
On the European Convention on Human Rights (Article 6 - Fair Trials)


4. Spread the word

Make flyers, posters, stencils. Speak to human rights groups, lawyers, politicians and write to (reputable) newspapers.
Get a group together and organise a postcard or letter-writing campaign, visit the embassy and speak to a representative.
Remember to be respectful and informed. This is not a problem with Bulgarians, it's a problem with the prison and judicial system.

For more info or if you have ideas on how help, write to free.jock@hotmail.

See @ndy's post here

The Verdict

On Wednesday, 2^nd December 2009, Jock was found guilty of premeditated murder and attempted murder with antisocial (hooligan) intent. He was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, and a 450,000 leva (375,000 AUD) fine.

We believe this to be a hideous perversion of justice, as it contradicts all evidence available. Jock will be appealing the decision.

Jock's post-trial statement:

The decision made by the Sofia City Court on Wednesday 2 December 2009 was in complete contradiction to all available evidence put before the court.

In the face of all neutral witness statements, testimony from the police, forensic reports, psychological reports, blood alcohol results and the CCTV video footage that confirm my account of events, word for word, in concurrence with my testimony, the court has still declared me guilty of attacking a gang of men with no provocation and/or reason and of the premeditated murder of one man and the attempted murder of another.

This is not only an abomination of justice and my right for a fair and objective trial, but also a green light for football hooligans to continue their attacks on other law abiding members of society, especially racial minorities who are a prime target for such groups within Bulgaria, the EU and the world.

With the blatant bias in every facet of the justice system, from my arrest and investigation to the decision of Sofia city court, I reject the verdict of wilful murder for anti-social motives and I plead with all members of society from Bulgaria to Australia and all countries between, to help in stopping these 2 years of unjust imprisonment from becoming a 20 year unjust imprisonment.

Jock Palfreeman

3 December 2009

For more info, see:

The updated case facts – includes witness testimonies, psychological reports and other evidence

Jock's Official Statement to the court

Jock's summing up of the case (coming soon)

Simon Palfreeman’s summing up of his son’s case (PDF Version from the ABC available here)

Belinda Hawkins' article for the ABC

Ivan Dikov's editorial for novinite.com (Sofia News Agency)

@ndy's latest update

Simon Moore’s article for hompageDAILY

Forum discussion regarding the verdict

FreeJock.net Twitter updates

Questions, comments, offers of support can be emailed to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it